World Immunization Week
Jakarta, IO – Data from the Ministry of Health reveal that 1,879,820 Indonesian children did not receive complete routine immunization in the last six years, from 2018 to 2023. who are not immunized are vulnerable to contracting dangerous diseases that risk disability and death. Herd immunity will not be achieved if there are still children who are not immunized, thereby allowing extraordinary events (KLB) or epidemics to emerge.
Various cases and outbreaks of diseases that can be prevented by immunization occurred in several areas throughout 2023. “There were 136 cases of measles and rubella, 103 cases of diphtheria, 8 cases of polio, 14 cases of tetanus, and 149 cases of pertussis,” said dr. Prima Yosephine Berliana Yumiur Hutapea, MKM, Director of Immunization Management Ministry of Health, in a media meeting with the theme “World Immunization Week 2024” which was held Monday (18/3/2024).
It was revealed that there are still many children who have not been immunized, for several reasons. According to data from UNICEF and AC Nielsen in the second quarter of 2023, about 38% of parents were reluctant to immunize because they were afraid of giving the multiple immunizations or more than one injection and 12% said they were worried about side effects. This concern is supported by 40% of total respondents who refuse to immunize their children.
“Double immunization has occurred in many countries and is quite safe. They don’t want to, not because they have their own experience, but because they heard it from other people,” dr. Prima said.
5 Million Children Every Year
To reduce the number of children who have not received immunizations, it’s important to strengthen routine immunization strategies. Paedconsultant, also the Head of Immunization Task Force Indonesian Pediatric Society (IDAI) Prof. Dr. dr. Hartono Gunardi, Sp.A(K), emphasized the need for catch-up immunization to complement delayed immunization in children.
“In its implementation, catch-up immunization can be carried out in two ways, namely providing immunization without having to repeat it from the start or carrying out a double injection program, which has been proven to be safe and effective,” he said. “There are no immunizations that are forfeited, so those who haven’t can just continue.”
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On the same occasion, the Chairman of the National Commission for Post-Immunization Associations (Komnas KIPI), Prof. Dr. dr. Hindra Irawan Satari, Sp.A(K), M.TropPaed, pointed up how Indonesia has long experience in carrying out immunization programs for children. Indonesia has provided 450 million immunization injections to the 5 million children born every year.
“We have immunized, not thousands or tens of thousands, but millions. The level of reporting effects is still low compared to other countries, meaning that immunization is safe. This safety does not only occur with single injections but also with double injections. Various studies also show that there is no significant increase in the incidence of post-immunization side reactions. AEFIs do exist; some are serious and some are mild, but the numbers are very low,” he concluded. (est)